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Establishing Your Business’s Credibility Online in Jamaica

As more regional companies build their websites and use e-commerce the need for trust between new customers online and the brand is vital.  Prior to COVID-19, Caribbean consumers were hesitant to buy online from local merchants.  However, consumer habits have shifted drastically and the need for contactless transactions is increasing daily.

This, however, doesn’t mean that local companies shouldn’t take sufficient measures to secure their potential customer’s hesitations.  Especially, about the company’s credibility when purchasing from them online.

Here are 3 steps to establish a Business’s Credibility Online:

1. Have a Secure Website

A secure and safe website is one of the main ways that customers will trust the company online.  The most essential element of this is obtaining an SSL certificate.   An SSL certificate is a process for encrypting internet traffic and most importantly, verifying server identity.  Most of all, it shows customers that visit your website that it is a secure website by displaying a lock symbol net to the website domain.   Website hosting services usually handle this for their customers; businesses can go through an SSL certificate authority company to obtain one.

2. Professional Website

A clean, simple and user-friendly interface is an efficient measure to secure trust in your new visitors.   Therefore, a website should have standard website practices filled out.  This includes an About Us page, reviews from customers, detailed product descriptions and professional photographs of the products offered.   Incorporating all of these factors into a well laid out and easy to use website is the best way to make customers feel that they are shopping on a secure and safe website.

3. Secure Payment Processing

Caribbean consumers fear when shopping online is that regional companies are scamming them of their money.  Thus, the need to guarantee your customers that your payment is secure is necessary.  Especially, by letting them know the banks and payment gateways that are processing their card information securely.  Many local banks work with companies like First Atlantic Commerce to ensure that their customers have the safest, most secure and convenient payment process.  Customers who notice the name of the bank, gateway or companies like VISA and Mastercard on the website will feel reassured about their payment.

The information in this blog post has been taken from an interview on FAC Live with Vivienne Shakespeare-Reynolds, the Managing Director of coolmarket.com.  You can watch the interview here.

First Atlantic Commerce provides online payment solutions and international credit card processing for merchants and banks in the Caribbean and Central America. Our services allow merchants to accept and process credit and debit card payments online! Learn more about our online payment solutions and how you can implement it on your website today!